CARACAS, Venezuela – Shortly after Venezuela's supreme court revised its decision effectively stripping the legislature of its powers this weekend, one of the country's cardinals responded by calling the reversal a mere “cosmetic retouching.”

CARACAS, Venezuela – A series of attacks and confrontations against Catholics in Venezuela has marked a renewed deterioration of relations between the church and the national government. Some church leaders have openly speculated that the events could form part of a broader, coordinated campaign.

CARACAS, Venezuela – A year ago, Miledi Berdu and her husband, Robert Rodriguez, began skipping meals to keep their children fed as Venezuela's economic crisis continued. Rodriguez's salary as a welder in Caracas was not enough to cover soaring prices, and shortages made food expensive.

CARACAS, Venezuela – The bishops of Venezuela have urged that elections take place in the country in a timely manner, in light of the crisis of hyperinflation and chronic shortages of goods facing their nation.

ROME - Venezuelan Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo is one of the Pope's picks from the peripheries who will get a red hat this weekend, which the new cardinal-elect says is a sign of the Vatican's concern for the people amid the country’s ongoing crisis.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis met privately with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, urging a peaceful dialogue between the country's government and opposition to resolve the current political and economic crisis, the Vatican said.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Cardinal-designate Baltazar Porras Cardozo of Merida, Venezuela, is known throughout his country, and his appointment as a cardinal gave the people something to celebrate, said a woman who has worked with him for 20 years.

ROME – Jesuit Father Arturo Sosa Abascal, a member of the Jesuits' Venezuelan province, was elected the first non-European superior general of the Society of Jesus Oct. 14.

VATICAN CITY – Venezuela's opposition party pleaded with Pope Francis to mediate discussions with President Nicolas Maduro's government to find a solution to the current crisis that has left most of the country without food or basic necessities.

ROME – The Venezuelan bishops' conference will close its college for priests in Rome at least for the 2016-2017 academic year because of the economic difficulties facing the country, the seminary rector said.

MEXICO CITY – An attack on four high school-age seminarians by pro-government thugs has sparked outrage in Venezuela and underscored the tense political situation and social unrest in the South American country.

BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela – Under other circumstances, Jonny Lopez might have been happy that he was losing weight.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Hugo Chavez, a socialist president who transformed Venezuela while acting as chief protagonist in what was one of the worst Catholic Church-government relationships in Latin America, died March 5. He was 58.

LIMA, Peru - When Venezuela's bishops spoke out against postponing the inauguration of ailing President Hugo Chavez, the president's supporters accused them of meddling in politics, while government opponents praised their comments.

CARACAS, Venezuela - Caracas Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino asked Venezuelans to pray for President Hugo Chavez as he battles cancer.